In computer networking, a wireless access point is a device that allows wireless devices to connect to a wired network to form a wireless local area network (WLAN). An access point may connect directly to a wired Ethernet connection and provide wireless connections using radio frequency (RF) links (e.g., Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, or other types of standards) for other devices to utilize the wired connection. An access point may support the connection of multiple wireless devices to one wired connection.
Access points may include wide applications in corporate, public, educational, and home WLANs. A WLAN may include several access points attached to a wired network to provide devices with wireless access to the Internet or another wide area network. A hotspot is a public application of access points where wireless clients may connect to the Internet without regard for the particular networks to which they have attached for the moment. Further, access points may be used in home wireless networks to wirelessly connect all the computers in a home or office.